Aaron Rodgers has a clear idea of where he thinks Haason Reddick should end up after the star edge rusher asked for a trade from the New York Jets. And Reddick wouldn’t have to move far.
“Obviously, we’d love for him to be here, but we don’t judge him for trying to do what’s best for him,” Rodgers said Tuesday. “I think what’s best for him is to be a Jet because this is going to be a fun ride.
“But he’s got to make the best decision for him and his family.”
Reddick’s holdout has reached 22 days as he seeks a new contract with no resolution in sight, especially after he requested a trade from the Jets on Monday. Shortly after Reddick’s request became public, New York general manager Joe Douglas said in a statement that the Jets would not be trading him.
Coach Robert Saleh did not comment further on the situation and referred to Douglas’ statement.
“I’m not going to elaborate any more than Joe did,” Saleh said. “It is what it is. I’m going to focus on the guys who are here.”
Reddick has missed all offseason and training camp since being acquired by the Jets for a 2026 conditional third-round draft pick.
“There’s always new things in the league,” Rodgers said. “I’ve been in the league 20 years and I’ve seen a lot of stuff. I think as players, we always try to first side with the player because you know what it’s like to be a player.”
Rodgers said he doesn’t know Reddick well, but has played against him and exchanged messages with him when the Jets acquired him. The four-time NFL MVP also didn’t rule out reaching out to Reddick again during his contract standoff.
“Yeah, that’s possible,” Rodgers said. “Anything’s possible.”
When asked if he planned to reach out to Reddick, Rodgers nodded and said, “Yeah.”
Saleh mentioned that he has talked to Reddick before but did not specify when their most recent conversation was. The coach added that he has not been discouraged by the situation.
“It’s not frustrating because I don’t have control over it,” Saleh said. “We’re excited about our group. Still looking forward for him to get here when he’s ready. And when he’s ready, we’re going to embrace him with open arms and get ready to attack the moments that he brings to us.”
Reddick, who has had double-digit sacks for four consecutive seasons, is expected to strengthen the Jets’ pass rush after the team allowed Bryce Huff to leave in free agency and traded John Franklin-Myers to Denver.
He was traded to New York after asking Philadelphia for a trade due to his contract situation. He wanted a new deal, which the Eagles were not willing to provide.
New York made the trade with the belief that Reddick would report under his current contract and that they could discuss a new deal once he arrived. The 29-year-old Reddick seemed pleased when he spoke to reporters via video call after the trade on April 1.
“No matter how it goes, how many years, I’m going to be here for however long I’m here for,” Reddick said, “and I’m going to give the team, the fans everything that I have.”
Reddick was placed on the reserve/did not report list on July 25, the second day of the Jets’ training camp.
He is set to earn $14.25 million in base salary for the last year of his contract. By missing the first three weeks of training camp, Reddick faces over $1 million in required fines. He also lost a $250,000 workout bonus for not joining the Jets’ offseason workouts. None of Reddick’s salary for this season is guaranteed.
Saleh also stated that Reddick’s contract holdout is not causing a distraction for the team.
“It’s not,” he said. “I promise you it’s not. It’s a great opportunity for the guys that are here. We love our D-line, we love our depth, especially at the defensive end position.”
